


Steve’s Dog Tags

by ionlyreadgayfanfictionsorry



Series: Stucky OneShots [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Bucky Misses Steve, Canon Compliant, M/M, based off a set picture, bucky’s in love with steve, im sorry, mentions steve’s ending in endgame, sam makes bucky let go, takes place during fatws kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:54:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29562912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ionlyreadgayfanfictionsorry/pseuds/ionlyreadgayfanfictionsorry
Summary: Steve leaves Bucky his dog tags, and Bucky can’t seem to let go of them.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Stucky OneShots [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2134059
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Steve’s Dog Tags

bucky’s sitting on his bed when sam brings them. “hey, man. here’s some of steve’s stuff.”  
bucky looks up. there’s a box that says “for bucky, and bucky only,” on the side in sharpie. it’s written in steve’s handwriting, words scribbled quickly without precision.  
“what’s in it?”  
“dunno, man. we didn’t look. seemed like something only he wanted you to have,” sam responds, dropping the box on the bed beside bucky.  
“thanks,” bucky mutters with an emotionless tone. sam doesn’t comment on it, just pats him on the shoulder and walks out of the room. he shuts the door behind him, which bucky is thankful for.  
he slides one leg on the bed, tracing over his name on the box. with a sigh, he opens it.  
there’s a picture of them from before the war, several of them from after, and even more from before the blip. he gathers them all and shoves them under his pillow without a further look. there’s also a few sweatshirts bucky had always stolen and worn around the cottage in Wakanda.  
And then, in the bottom of the box, is their dog tags. Steve’s and Bucky’s on the same chain. Bucky slipped them around his neck, then pulled a sweatshirt on to cover them. With them against the chest, he finally felt... okay.  
***  
a week later and sam noticed them. “oh, you found your tags? is that what steve gave you?”  
“uh, yeah,” he agreed.  
“can i see?” sam stepped forward, looking at the tags. “i bet you- wait, that says steve’s name, too.”  
“yeah, well, we’ve always worn each other’s tags. i didn’t know he still had his, but he put them in the box, so-“  
“barnes, seriously?”  
“what?!”  
“you need to let go. you haven’t been talking about this at all. don’t say you’re not upset, because i know you are. steve was your best friend, maybe more, i don’t know the whole situation. what i do know is that he left and now he’s gone, and you’re sitting here like an idiot still pining after him.”  
bucky huffed. “i’m not pining. i’m fine. and i’m not going to let go of the only part of him i have left,” he countered.  
“whatever you say, man.”  
***  
they were standing on the boat. bucky didn’t know where they were going, but they had fixed everything. bucky allowed himself to relish in the pride of winning as he relaxed from battle. he watched the sunset, the yellows and oranges filled the sky.  
“you alright, buck?”  
bucky closed his eyes. he knew it was sam beside him, but- “i thought you were steve.”  
“you hoped i was steve,” sam corrected.  
“yeah, well... i miss him.”  
“yeah. i know.” sam sighed. “i don’t know why steve left. i try to come up with a reason because he never told me. he might’ve told you, and maybe it was a good enough reason so you’re okay, but... i just don’t get it. he loved you. so much. he- he had to’ve cared about you a lot to do as much as he did for you. he gave up everything, so i don’t know why he would just leave you.”  
“can we not talk about this?” bucky opened his eyes again to glare at sam. he didn’t need to hear about how steve left him. he thought about it enough without sam mentioning it.  
“no. we need to talk about, so that you’ll let him go, bucky. no matter how much you miss him, he’s GONE.”  
“i KNOW!” bucky yelled back. “i know. and he deserved to have that life with peggy, but he was all i had.”  
“so you loved him, too.”  
it wasn’t a question but bucky still answered with a quiet, “obviously.”  
sam sighed, patting his shoulder like he had after giving him steve’s stuff. “try to move on. he wouldn’t have wanted to see you like this.”  
bucky thought about it as sam walked away. he closed his eyes again.  
he thought of how steve was before the serum, how he kept fighting when he got sick, how he always did the right thing. he thought of how many times he saved steve, then the times steve saved him. how it had always been SteveandBucky, and they didn’t have, or need, anyone else. he thought of how it wasn’t like that anymore and wouldn’t ever be again. he thought about how steve got to live the life he always wanted, and even if bucky wasn’t there to see it, steve had been happy.  
bucky opened his eyes, pulling the dog tags off his neck. he traced steve’s name with his thumb, then squeezed them.  
he raised his hand to his mouth, blinking slowly as he kissed the silver. “i’ve always loved you, stevie.” he closed his eyes and dropped the dog tags. he couldn’t actually hear it, but he imagined the sound of them hitting the water.  
“i’m with you til the end of the line, pal,” he whispered into the air.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m so sorry.  
> I hate sad Bucky.  
> I hate Steve’s ending, but :(  
> Let me know what you think, and kudos are always appreciated <3


End file.
